Coverdale/Page

A few reasons to consider buying Coverdale/Page, the first collaboration by ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and ex-Whitesnake singer David Coverdale:

(1) You’ve worn out the CD grooves on your Zeppelin boxed set, so you’ll settle for Page and Robert Plant manque Coverdale’s attempt to re-create the monolithic Led Zep sound. As they used to say on TV — not the real thing, but an incredible simulation!

(2) As Zep simulations go, it is pretty incredible, if pointless. Page and Coverdale have written a batch of new songs that try very, very hard to echo Zep anthems like ”Whole Lotta Love” and ”Kashmir,” and Coverdale tosses off Plantlike groans and moans even more than he did in Whitesnake, that other Zep tribute band.

(3) You relish the idea of hearing grizzled rock stud Coverdale pursing his lips around lyrics like ”’Scuse me if my tongue gets tired/An’ I will make some sweet love to you.” You’ll also love it if you like hearing women referred to as ”babe,” ”child,” and ”mama.”

(4) You want to show support for poor Jimmy Page, who’s reduced to grave- robbing his own past to earn a living. (5) You hate Robert Plant so much for not partaking in a full-time Zep reunion that you’ll do anything to spite him — even buy this album.

(6) For the oh-so-enigmatic cover art, which kind of, almost, sort of brings to mind the covers of Zep albums like Presence. But only kind of. D